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Among the Departed: 07/25/21
Among the Departed by Vicki Delany is the fifth book in the Constable Molly Smith mystery series. During a search for a missing boy, Tocek's police dog, Norman, discovers a skeletal hand near a fifteen year old penny. Molly knowing the history of a local missing man makes the initial identification. The remainder of the novel deals with the aftermath of Brian Novak's disappearance. His wife has become a shut in. His son is an artist specializing in violent depictions of nature. His daughter has changed her name and become a high end escort with a cocaine addiction. Molly takes the lead in tracking down the last days of Novak's life. Previous novels in the series have an A mystery (the murder) and a B mystery (usually a petty theft or similar). This one is focused entirely on the Novak question, save for a brief scare where a teen is almost lured away to Vancouver. As the novel is so single minded the identity of the murderer and the reason for the murder are both rather blatant. Yet it takes Molly et al chapters and chapters to get to the same conclusion. The sixth book is A Cold Sun (2013). Four stars Comments (0) |